Eric Korman wants to remake how people buy fragrances. The former head of e-commerce at Ralph Lauren Corp. this week launches Phlur Inc., a line of unisex fragrances sold only online.

The company aims to dodge the crowded and confusing bustle of retail store fragrance counters and the sometimes-bewildering language used to describe how perfumes smell.

“Talking with a scent expert about fragrance notes sucks all the joy out of the room, just like an oenophile sucks the joy out of drinking wine,” says Mr. Korman. For $10, people can purchase two fragrance samples from Phlur. If they decide to purchase a full bottle, the $85 price tag is cut to $75.

Phlur also wants to serve as a guide to wearing fragrances. Each of its six scents has a tip sheet on how many times and where they should be sprayed, how far the fragrance will travel once applied and how long it will last on skin and clothing, respectively.

“One of the things that seem to be missing from the category is how a scent objectively wears,” says Mr. Korman, who wrote the tips with help from the company’s fragrance evaluator Anne Serrano-McClain.

Phlur’s Olmsted & Vaux scent, for example, should be sprayed once per wrist and ankle and will last approximately six to eight hours on skin, and one to two days on clothing, the company says. Its sillage, the fragrance industry term for the wake of a scent (or how far the scent reaches beyond your skin) is rated as medium. It “hits them right as they’re close enough to shake your hand,” according to the tip sheet.

“It was designed as this quiet confidence boost at the start of your professional day,” says Mr. Korman. “When you’re in the office, it’s not the moment when you want to make a big fragrance statement.”

By contrast, Phlur’s Siano fragrance intends to be a celebration of nightlife and “for those who want to own the room,” says Mr. Korman. It will last 10 to 12 hours on skin, and up to three days on clothing. Its sillage is “far.” Male and female wearers should spritz it on their wrists as well as the back of each knee. “Ultimately people will do what they’re more comfortable with,” says Mr. Korman.

Re: Phlur - New line featured in WSJ

Thanks for the info on this new line.

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Re: Phlur - New line featured in WSJ

Seems a bit to gimmicky IMO. It is true that note pyramids may not necessarily match what is exactly in the fragrance, I still like the idea of viewing the note pyramid prior to a purchase.

Yep, I fully agree...it kind of reminds me how Philosophy originally didn't divulge their fragrance notes when pitching fragrances on QVC - as if their scents were this whole new olfactory experience that was just beyond or in this case, "too cool" to be pigeonholed into traditional note periods.